Using gardening as a metaphor for living... This blog is how some plants & flowers, creepy things, and the dead brought me back to life.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

...Arbor Day at Hollywood Cemetery...

April 27, 2018 was the most perfect Arbor Day! The
weather was amazing (finally!) and it was the perfect day to be in the
cemetery.

Arborist Mike Van Yahres, who holds a Master’s Degree
in Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia and who has published
numerous articles on tree management is the owner of Van
Yahres Tree Company from Charlottesville, Virginia. In fact, he is the
third generation of Van Yahres in the business. Throughout the morning, Mr. Van
Yahres cited his grandfather’s advice as he gave a walking tour of some of Hollywood Cemetery’s most prized
trees, including some of the Monarchs, trees that are considered outstanding
examples of their species.

Although many visitors come to see the resting spots
of presidents or have an interest in Civil War history, Hollywood contains some
of the finest examples of native trees and historic roses in the Commonwealth.
There are over 2,000 trees in the cemetery today, of which some predate the
cemetery.

Trees are part of what makes Hollywood Cemetery so beautiful,
especially this time of year with all the native ornamental trees being in
bloom. Mr. Van Yahres is much more interested in Hardwoods, especially the
White Oak, which is his favorite tree. Yet, when asked if he had a least
favorite tree, he hesitated for a moment and was given suggestions by those on
the tour.

I learned about the tallest tree in the cemetery, a 142’
tall Bald Cypress that is in the “lake” area right down the hill from the bricked-in
plot of the Harvie family.

I learned that Mr. Van Yahres’ favorite tree, “because
of its shape and its size,” is the Black Gum, which is frequently considered
Virginia’s most beautiful native tree. This one was included in Remarkable
Trees of Virginia (2008). Mr. Van Yahres explained that Black Gums
typically have a single stem so this one is atypical. I have to say that I love
that his favorite tree is not one that seemingly follows the rules.

The largest tree in the cemetery is the Tulip Poplar
located near the large obelisk for
Dr. R.W. “John” Dove, who served as the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of
Virginia for over 30 years. It is common for Tulip Poplars to
grow to great heights. While children have delighted in finding a secret
passage to another world in the open trunk bottom, I always worried about this
tree. I was thrilled to learn that it is common for mature Tulip Poplars to be
hollow inside. Mr. Van Yahres stated that this tree was structurally sound and
he would sleep under it.

Finally, Mr. Van Yahres discussed the new tree
digitization program. To conclude the tour, a White Oak tree was planted in the
cemetery.

This was an excellent opportunity to learn more about
a place that I adore.

To learn more about Hollywood Cemetery’s trees, check
out their Notable Trees & Roses guide.